Fate

I try to visit Antoni Cierplikowski in his hometown at least once a month. I always bring white lilies - his favourite flowers, some gossip and I always try to have something light-blue. I direct my first steps to the cemetary. I always enter the cemetary, turn right, then the second alley to the left to the historic church, I move forward, pass a few prewar graves and a poplar. Just two steps farther I can see the “Fatum” sculpture standing on a short pedestal at the horizon. There are only 40 steps left and I reach his grave. I greet him and start the conversation. Unfortunately I am a person that likes to talk and work. So I sweep the leaves, change the lights and gossip while doing that. I tell him about haircuts that I saw and created. When everything is clean enough I stand still. Look at the masters grave. Everything is in order. I can see an ideally trimmed hedge that are no more than 40 centimeters high. It looks nice but unfortunately it covers the inscription which lists all of Cierplikowski’s orders. Above the four-meter-high tombstone there is a sandstone sculpture “Fatum” that crowns his place of eternal rest. It has been standing there since 1984 and it’s guarding the master’s peace to this day. „Fatum” is also known as „Soul leaving the body”. The sculpture is different from all the sculptures surrounding it and different from all the sculptures at the cemetaries around the world. It is not an angel, nor Jesus, any kind of religious symbol, someone crying after the dead. Fatum represents immortality, shows freedom and a promise of life. It shows two characters: The Body - empty shell with lowered head - shaped like a human being. The Soul - slim and firm, with head facing the sky, ready to fly away. It’s free! It has Cierplikowski’s face features. I am being asked repeatedly why this sculpture was chosen to be at Cierplikowski’s grave. 

Where the idea to do that came from, who was crazy enough to think of such an extravagance? 

The answer is really simple - that is the idea of King of Hairdressers. He decided that “Fatum” will stand on his grave when he was 35.

 It all started with a great friendship of two creators in their own areas.

                                                                                            
                                                                                                                 1 Fate

 „Fatum / Soul leaving the body” was created in 1904 in Warsaw. First version was carved in plaster, showing impersonal silhouettes, it was around 60cm high. It was small and light - very delicate - it started traveling the world with its creator: Xawery Dunikowski. They spent 1914 in Paris. In the capital of fashion the “Fatum” was reborn. Watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes, talked about by everyone, it moved imagination of artists of different fields. But only one of them saw something different in it. It was Cierplikowski, I don’t know when he agreed with Dunikowski that this will be part of his tombstone or whether he was the one who suggested that the soul should have his face. One thing is certain -even the creator did not predict such a huge career of “Fatum” In 1927 the second version of “Soul leaving the body” was created - over 4 meters high, weighing a few tonnes. With heavily outlined facial features it stands above unadorned grave. As a main point of the grave it moves imagination even more than the original. It consisted of two elements: The Body as impersonal mass. The Soul with facial features of King of Hairdressers faced blue french sky. Standing on a little cemetary surrounded by the fields it guarded family grave of Cierplikowskis. Antoine was 43 by then. But travels of the sculptures were only beginning bad then! Four-meter-high „Fatum” survived the Second World War at Longjumeau cemetary, “posed” for many photographers, was often showed in newspapers. It became one of the symbols of Emperor of Hairdressers. It never caused sadness. It remained like that till the late 60’s.


                                                 Gravigny. Foto: Franz Lovy

 Antoine, preparing to leave this world at the age of 76 bought a second place at the cemetary near his home in Paris. At the Passy Cemetary next to Trocadero. „Fatum” was transported to Paris. It was to fire up curiosity and agitate the capital of France! The new grave was the opposite of the one in Gravigny. Its construction was thought to be modern but unfortunately followed the fashion of creating black unadorned marble tombstones. Rectangle black pedestal has a golden lettered poem embossed. The sculpture “Fatum” was supposed to emphasise the uniqueness of that place. The reality proved to be malicious. „Fatum” from Gravigny was too heavy and smashed black marble at which it was supposed to stay for eternity. Fortunatelly that was not a problem for Cierplikowski. His friend, Xavery Dunikowski was still alive and lived in Poland. Sculptor got commissioned to create another version of “Soul leaving the body” - smaller and lighter this time. It was created swiftly. It consisted of one element.for the first few years it was white - it was sculpted in white sandstone. The grave stood out from other historical graves and mausoleums. Ideally fitting, 

with perfect harmony it looked at Parisian skies for years!  

                                                         Passy Cemetary.Foto Gilbert Boisgontier

 Up until 1970 guests visiting master Antoine saw “Fatum” from his balconny. Original was placed in Warsaw in 1963. It was closed between other sculptures in Summer Palace Królikarnia it waited fr better times for old sculptor. First copy never came back to Gravigny, it was placed in small garden in Paris Av. Paul Dumier,1 when the second one was very popular and showed often in the newspapers. This history should have ended right here but fortunately we are just in the middle of it. Xawery Dunikowski has stopped his work, waiting until renovation works finished in the Summer Palace in Królikarnia, as he was to have his painting and sculpting workshop there. Sadly, the sculptor died on the 26th of January 1964 in Warsaw. Polish authorities have decided to finish the renovations for the first anniversary of his death, and put the building to use as the museum devoted only to him. Antoine, moved by this decision, and knowing that the newly created institution does not have a great selection of the illustrious creator's works, decided to give to the Polish nation all the works Dunikowski had created especially for him. A few weeks later, „Fatum”, located in the garden, has been dismantled and moved from Paris to Warsaw by train. The sculpture has been placed in Królikarnia park. Sadly, the inept workers broke the top part. The four-meter collossus, hidden among the apple trees and poplars, is looking at Warsaw's sky to this day. 

                                           Królikarnia park. Foto: Club Antoine

It's trip around Europe has ended. The original was shown to the broad public for the first few years, and later disappeared in the warehouse again, for long years. The copy inspires Polish artists, gives shade to lovers, pleases the eyes of all. It is no longer a gravestone sculpture – it has been reborn as a work of almost an exhibition.

Let us, however, come back to Paris. In 1969 Antoine made a decision to come back to Poland, to his family town of Sieradz. In the press he has stressed that, when he dies, his heart will lie next to the heart of Chopin in the Three Crosses Church in Warsaw, and the body will be buried on the Passy Cemetery in Paris. Antoine diedon the 5th of July 1976 in Sieradz. Poland was then under the grasp of communism and his last will could not be complete. Paris grave was to forever remain empty. The master has been buried in the grave under a bizzare obelisk, next to his parents.

His friend, a hairdresser Czesław Adamiak, could not come to terms with the whole situation. He mobilized Cierplikowski family and convinced the folk of Sieradz to something extraordinary. If the last will of the King of Hairdressers could not be fulfiiled, he should at least be granted a monument he wanted. Dunikowski was already dead and the National Museum did not agree to give back the sculpture standing in the park. The Paris monument was at that times far beyond their reach. Nobody now knows whose idea it was to make another version of the „Soul Leaving the Body” - it is not important now. What counts is that this idea has been put to life. Due to high cost of creating such sculpture, a lot of money was needed. This problem has been solved by the Hairdressers Trade Union – an organization of hairdressers from the whole country. It was agreed that anyone who offered a certain amount of money was to receive a proof of his generosity – a symbolic token designed by an artist. The tokens have reached everywhere. The Polish hairdressers did not fail and the necessary sum has been collected in an unimaginable tempo for the time – a year after the decision about the grave redesign has been made. The new „Fatum” was officially revealed on the renovated grave of the master Antoine Cierplikowski on the 4th of November 1984. This way, the third face of Antoine memorized in the Soul, looks towards the great future. The new copy, made with a clumsy hand, was heavy, lacking dynamics and smaller than the Paris version, but consisting of two elements. There is no author's fault of he author: the sandstone was of low quality, and it is hard to copy the master Polish sculptor. What counts is the fact that „Fatum” guards the eternal sleep of the great hairdresser. There is a funny story connected with this copy – some inhabitants of Sieradz noticed a sexual act of two people in the monument. Some of the offended spat on it, the more courageous covered the figures behinds, some even tried to remove them with sandpaper.

                                                           Cemetery in Sieradz foto: Paweł Kurzawski

This way, three copies of the modest, exhibition sculpture were created, and exist in three different places of the world: Paris, Warsaw and Sieradz.

„Fatum” located in Paris has moved imagination of Hubert Demory, causing the creation of the book „Mosieur Antoine Grand Matitre de la Haute Coiffure francaise” (published in 2005). This is, unfortunately, how the story of the second copy of the „Soul Leaving the Body” ends. The parcel on Passy Cemetary has not been paid for by a proper person and the empty grave was a great investment. That is why both the monument and the parcel has been bought in 1989 by Lemerre family, and the sign saying „Antoine” has been covered by the initials „J.J.-L.L. 1969 – 2003.”

Year 2004 brought another sad surprise. „Fatum” located on the Paris grave has been stolen. It has been told that it has been destroyed, yet in might quietly rest in some private collection, hidden from all. On the 12th of February 1972, on Longjumeau cemetary, Marie – Berthe Cierplikowska – the Master's wife, has been put to a lonely ground in the grave destined for her and her husband. „Fatum” in Królikarnia Park is well, and is often photographed by young photography adepts.

In a few days I will stand by the masters grave in Sieradz. I will again tell of everything that is interesting, smile looking at the seedy part of the monument – the probable buttocks. I think that someday the sculpture will have to be cleaned and returned to its original colour – white. But it will be someday. Maybe the fourth copy is to be made somewhere and amaze new generations... 

as it is not the end of this story!

Adam Krupiński

tłum: AiP Chełchowscy